


Casualties of War

by Arnie



Category: Garrison's Gorillas
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2015-09-23
Packaged: 2018-04-23 01:04:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4857293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arnie/pseuds/Arnie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The instructions were simple enough: go into Pithiviers in France, meet a contact and pick up some information.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  Just like any mission that could go wrong in a dozen different ways.  But none of them had planned for this.</p><p>How do you explain an English kid wandering the streets of Pithiviers picking pockets?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Casualties of War

"Sit down!" Casino shoved the young lad back into his chair, enraged by the defiant look in the kid's eyes.

"Knock it off, Casino!" Garrison ordered sharply.

"Yeah, knock it off, Casino," the boy echoed, enjoying the angry look that flashed in Casino's dark eyes.

"'Ere, what we gonna do with 'im?" Goniff asked.

"I have no idea," Garrison said.

~'~

The instructions were simple enough: go into Pithiviers in France, meet a contact and pick up some information. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just like any mission that could go wrong in a dozen different ways. But none of them had planned for this.

How do you explain an English kid wandering the streets of Pithiviers picking pockets?

He'd tried to pick Goniff's, but Goniff, being a professional, had felt the light touch and swung around. He'd grabbed the kid's arm and said a few words in English. With their cover blown, Garrison had had no choice but to take the kid with them - from the looks of him, no one would miss him, at least not soon. His dirty blond hair was matched by his dirty face and filthy clothes. If he'd spent a month sleeping in ditches he couldn't have looked any worse.

Once they were hidden in a deserted bombed-out building that Garrison had noticed on their way through the town, the boy had talked in English to them. Actually, he'd mocked them in English, derided them for putting their lives at risk. He'd recognised them for what they were...or what they had been. Cons, always looking out for number one.

And he was headed along the same dark, lonely path.

They'd tried questioning him. Where were his parents? Who was responsible for him? How long had he been in Pithiviers? And, the big question, what was an English child doing in an occupied country?

He'd lied - outrageous lies that had no chance of being believed. He didn't care what they thought, what they said or what they did with him.

Finally, Garrison snapped and searched him. The amount he found was pitifully small. A few coins, barely enough to buy food for a day, and a photograph. That brought forth the only real emotion they'd seen from him so far, except for his disdain. He made a panicked grab for the photograph, but Garrison stepped back, Casino grabbed the kid's shoulder, and the skinny lad didn't have the strength or the weight to fight Casino.

"Who are they?" Garrison asked, his eyes on the smiling couple and young blond boy captured forever on a small scrap of paper.

"No one," came the sullen answer.

Goniff spoke up. "'Ey, er, Warden. There's writin' on the back o' there."

Garrison turned it over. "At Torquay with Billy. 1936." He looked at the scruffy lad. "Billy? Is that you?"

Billy stared at the floor.

"1936. You were...what...five? Six?"

Nothing.

Suddenly the normally quiet member of the group spoke, surprising them all. "How long you been alone?" Chief asked, quietly.

Billy shifted in his chair slightly but still said nothing.

"Did they leave you?" Chief persisted despite the look of hatred flashed at him from the kid's bright blue eyes. "Were they killed? They were killed, weren't they? They were taken from you." There was an odd note of sympathy in Chief's voice. Garrison had no doubt that Chief recognised himself in the boy but Billy, not being willing to give that much information to his captors, stayed silent. Chief shrugged. "Have it your own way."

"Is he right?" Garrison demanded, He threw a glance at the now silent Indian who'd gone back to keeping watch through the window, then turned his attention back to the defiant young boy in front of him. "Were they killed in an air raid? Were they English?" He paused to wait for an answer, then continued, "Were they Jewish?"

"No," he snorted. Obviously Garrison was far off the mark there.

"Then what? Are they alive?" Garrison leaned forward resting his hands on the arms of the boy's chair. Billy squirmed back in his seat, unwilling to suffer the lieutenant's invasion of his personal space, his eyes downcast as he refused to acknowledge the question. Garrison grabbed his chin impatiently and forced the lad to look at him. "Are they alive?" he asked again, his voice softer.

The eyes were shielded again, but Billy finally shook his head. Garrison let go of him and stepped back slightly, frowning as he regarded the orphan.

"Lieutenant." Actor glanced at his watch in a pointed manner. They had to go if they were to meet their contact.

Garrison nodded as he dropped the photograph back into Billy's eager hands. "Chief and I will go and meet...someone; you three stay here. Actor."

Actor followed Garrison through the doorway.

"If anything happens, our escape route is arranged through Dieppe. There's a fishing boat there, the 'Little Mermaid'. The password's 'Copenhagen', the counter word, 'Andersen'. They'll take you to rendezvous with the sub. Get yourself and the others back to England - him too. Chief and I will get out another way."

Actor nodded.

"We should be back in an hour. Don't wait for more than two. Chief!"

Uneasily, Actor watched as Garrison made his way down the stairs, Chief behind him. He would wait for two hours. If Garrison didn't return, well, he was a conman, wasn't he? He'd find a way to rescue them from whatever this little improvisation had landed them in.

~'~

"How did you know?"

"Warden?" Chief wasn't surprised at the question, he was just playing for time.

"How did you know he was alone, that his parents were dead?" Garrison recognised Chief's ploy for what it was but wasn't in the mood to play along.

Chief shrugged. "I guessed."

Garrison grabbed Chief's arm and swung the younger man around to face him. "How did you know?" he insisted.

Those dark eyes slid away from the officer's intent stare. "Warden, we're gonna be late...."

"We have time for this." Garrison disliked confronting the Indian: he normally respected Chief's reticence - but if Chief had a handle on the boy Garrison needed to know what it was, and how to use it.

Chief glanced around. What wouldn't he give for a German patrol to come along? But, typically when such things are wished for, the French street was quiet. He fidgeted. He knew that Garrison wouldn't give up, he'd seen how determined the American officer could be. It looked like this time he'd have to explain himself, but how? He cleared his throat nervously.

"You were left alone?" The question was quiet and Chief was grateful for that. It had been almost ten years but it still had the power to hurt him. "What happened?"

"My parents...." Chief's voice trailed off.

"They split up?"

"No." Chief was surprised at the thought of it. His parents? Split up? There'd been no one else in the world they'd ever look at. "No. They never split up. They wouldn't."

"Chief, your file isn't exactly complete. There's gaps...barely any family history...."

"That's because...." Chief sighed. He hated having to explain things, especially things like this.

"Because?"

"They were killed in a car accident. A drunk driver. He didn't stop at a red light and...he was drunk." Chief stopped himself from revealing more, falling back on repeating why they'd died, instead of admitting just how much it had destroyed him.

"How old were you?"

"Twelve."

"Chief." Garrison's voice was insistent.

Chief sighed. He guessed there was no way out of this one. He continued, his voice slow, hesitant. "It was a mixed race marriage. Their friends had always accepted it. Never made an issue of it. It didn't matter...to anyone."

Garrison wasn't stupid; he could read between the lines. At that point, it hadn't mattered to Chief that his parents were different - that he was different. "What happened afterwards?"

"I was sent to live with my Grandfather on the Reservation." He sighed, half angrily, then straightened his jacket, as though that would straighten out his feelings too. "I didn't know how to live like an Indian...I didn't know how to be his grandson. I grew up in a white neighbourhood - I was accepted. It didn't matter that my mother was Indian and my father was white. It just was. Afterwards, everything changed... Suddenly, I was a white kid on the Reservation and I didn't know how to fit in. I hated it. I hated my Grandfather."

"Because he was Indian?"

"Partly." Chief had never explained this to anyone. Once he'd got into trouble he'd been labelled as just another Indian troublemaker - and who listens to them? "Look, that kid. He's alone. He found out that...that no one cares. People don't understand him and people don't wanna understand him. He hates us. He hates everyone. He wants to hurt the world like he's been hurt." Now that Chief wasn't talking about himself, he could explain more, talk more. At least by talking about Billy he could keep up the pretence that these had never been his feelings, but someone else's.

"Can we help him?" Garrison asked, although both he and Chief knew the question was 'could someone have helped you?'

"I dunno." Chief looked Garrison in the eye. "He's not gonna make it easy on you, Warden."

Garrison smiled. "Then it's a good thing I've had some practice. C'mon."

~'~

"So, Billy, where you been livin'?" Goniff settled himself on the edge of the dusty table and regarded the boy with a friendly eye.

"Why, you looking for a place to stay?" Billy asked, his look and voice totally lacking in anything resembling friendship.

"Nah, I was just wonderin'. Yer must 'ave been 'ere a while, yer see. I wondered 'ow come you'd managed to avoid the German patrols."

The boy shrugged.

"You been pickin' pockets long?" Goniff persisted.

"What is this, twenty questions?" Billy demanded. What were they going to do, talk him to death?

"Just somethin' to pass the time." Goniff shrugged as he moved over to stand by Casino.

"Give it up," Casino advised. "I've seen his type before. They think they know everything, but they don't. Trouble is, it's usually too late by the time they figure that out."

Billy watched them, he looked dejected but he wasn't. He didn't know who these jokers were, but he could outsmart them. All he needed was for the big loud one and the blond English one to turn their backs for a second. The tall dark one was looking out of the window, much like that other dark one had been. Billy shifted in his seat slightly. Somehow, that dark one had known too much, seen too much in Billy's eyes and he didn't plan on sticking around for any of them to figure out anything more about him. He didn't need them and he didn't need their help.

Actor smoked a cigarette as he kept watch for the others. It was obvious that the boy had been hurt, but was Garrison wise to insist on keeping hold of him? How far would the boy's dislike of them drive him - would he attempt to give them up to the Germans? Actor shook his head slightly, he couldn't believe that. Any attempt to give them up would lead to too much attention being focussed on Billy himself, and he didn't think the boy wanted anyone's attention.

Billy waited. Sooner or later, he'd have an opportunity, but Casino, who had seven brothers and sisters (and there was nothing about a kid's subterfuges he didn't know), was keeping a close eye on him. It wasn't until Actor spotted Garrison and Chief casually strolling along the street on their way back, that Casino turned his head and Billy got his chance.

He was quick, fast on his feet, and he had no doubt that he could outrun the three of them. He was at the door in a heartbeat and almost at the top of the stairs when Casino's hand on his collar jerked him to a stop. He wriggled furiously, hoping the shirt would tear but Casino threw an arm around him and hauled him back into the room before the worn material could give way.

"Get off me!" He kicked and struggled but didn't get free until he was unceremoniously dumped back in his chair, Casino's hand on his chest pinning him in place.

"Now you listen to me," Casino started.

Billy's defiance was back in full flood. "Knock it off, Casino," he retorted, a sneer on his face and in his voice.

"Why, you little punk! I oughta slug you one right here and now!" Casino's eyes were blazing with his anger.

"Well, go ahead - it'd probably make you feel better!"

"Casino!" Actor was alarmed. If the American did hit him, Billy would be seeing stars for at least a month.

Casino straightened up, his anger dying down. "What, and prove what a big bad wolf I am?" he asked Billy, then turned away.

Actor and Goniff sighed with relief, then looked at each other. They'd never seen Casino hit a kid, knew that he never would voluntarily, but Billy certainly knew how to push the hot-tempered safecracker's buttons.

Garrison heard Billy's shout and ran, with Chief one step behind him. God help them if any Germans or collaborators had heard. He burst into the room and found himself greeted by three drawn guns.

Casino shoved his gun into its holster with a look of thunder on his face. "Ya coulda knocked!"

"I'll keep that in mind." Garrison looked around. "We'll have to move. We can't take the risk of the Germans having heard him."

"Did you meet our contact?" Actor asked, delicately avoiding using any names.

Garrison nodded with one quick, tense movement, but offered nothing more. Actor frowned, obviously things had not quite gone to plan.

"There's plenty o' bombed out buildin's around here," Chief offered. "We could hide out in any one o' them."

"No. We'll be better off leaving the area. We don't need to stay here; we can hide out just outside the town."

Actor's frown deepened. Why leave the small town if there was something more they needed to do?

"Let's go. Billy." Garrison leaned down so he could stare directly into the boy's face. "You try anything and I'll have Casino knock you out so fast you won't know what hit you. Got it?"

Billy scowled up at the American officer looming over him. "I got it."

"Good. Casino."

"Yeah, great." The safecracker stepped forward and grabbed Billy's arm, pulling him to his feet. "Let's go."

"I can walk!" Billy tried to pull his arm free but Casino wasn't letting go.

"Good, I'd hate to have to carry ya. Now c'mon."

~'~

As they made their way to the edge of the town, Garrison and Goniff made a slight detour. Taking Billy's money, Garrison entered a small bakery and bought some bread while Goniff used his natural skills and didn't buy anything, although his pockets were bulging by the time they caught up with the others. It had started to rain while Goniff was helping himself to various meat pies, and the thin drizzle looked as though it was soon going to turn into a heavy downpour.

As they left the town unchallenged, Garrison glanced around. The nearby woods offered shelter, of a kind, but the trees weren't going to keep them dry for much longer. The American officer looked at the charge he'd taken upon himself. Billy looked cold but, short of stuffing him inside a bush, there was no way to keep him from getting rained on. He didn't know what kind of a life Billy had led recently, though he could guess, and taking him back to England with influenza didn't appeal in the slightest.

Chief had also noticed that Billy looked cold and was getting colder. Without a comment he stripped off his jacket and offered it across. Billy looked at it like the Indian had offered him a live python to hold.

"I don't need your jacket." He looked around at the gang of men who were, to all intents and purposes, his kidnappers. "I don't need anything from you lot. If it wasn't for you I'd be dry right now instead of standing in this wood getting wet!"

"You cold?" Casino looked down with a look of concern on his face. He might not like the kid but he wouldn't see him go without.

Billy flushed a bright pink. For a second Goniff felt regretful. He thought that if Billy's face was actually as hot as that colour indicated, they'd all be warm right now.

"I'm fine."

"'E sounds just like Chiefy!" Goniff said, a smile brightening his face.

Both Billy and Chief scowled while the rest of the men grinned.

"Hey, he looks like him too," Casino snickered.

"All right, knock it off." The familiar command came from Garrison. "Chief, any chance of finding some kind of shelter?"

"I'll go look." Chief handed his jacket to Casino and disappeared into the trees.

Casino looked at the kid, a considering look in his eye. "You gonna put this on or do we have to fight about it?"

"I don't need a jacket!" Billy retorted, his thin hands shoved as deep into his pockets as they would go. He might feel as though his blood was freezing in his veins, but he'd die sooner than admit it.

"Yeah, right." Casino wrapped the jacket around the kid without bothering to try to get him to put his arms into the sleeves, then buttoned it up at the front. Billy started to protest, but a quick "Can it!" from Casino silenced him for the present, and he contented himself with scowling heavily.

"Maybe he can learn some sense after all!" Casino announced, a smirk on his face.

The jacket might have been buttoned but the puny kid had room to move in there, and one quick jerk of his elbow into Casino's ribs proved it.

Casino's smirk disappeared. "There's gratitude for ya!"

~'~

The owner of the jacket, meanwhile, was making his way through the wood, his sharp eyes searching for anything that would provide shelter. He liked the kid, he really did, and he recognised the self-defensive attitude Billy had adopted. "I don't need no one, 'cause no one needs me."

Chief shook his head, partly in denial, partly to shift some of the rain. He'd needed, he'd wanted...desperately, but had never been able to reach out and say so. Acceptance, trust, love...he'd had them once and seen them all snatched away by the actions of a drunk driver. He'd had them a second time and seen them driven away by his fear...his fear that no one who knew him could really, truly accept him and love him.

Even now. He'd trust these men with his life, but not his feelings...not his soul. He'd never been able to trust anyone with them, not even Christine. His face hardened slightly. No matter what it cost him, he was going to make sure that Billy was all right. And the first step towards accomplishing that was finding some kind of shelter.

~'~

Goniff's face brightened again when he saw Chief return. "Good ol' Chiefy," he thought, "'e'll never let us down." And he hadn't.

It wasn't perfect, but the rocky outcrop was enough to keep them dry. By common consent, Billy was shoved to the back where it was driest, warmest and safest. He found himself huddled between Casino and Goniff, the close contact gradually warming him. Chief, who was by far the coldest of them all, was also beginning to warm up a little, as Garrison had thrown his own jacket over the younger man's shoulders. The rain hadn't soaked all the way through it, and it was just enough to dispel the cold shivers the Indian had begun to feel.

With a grin, Goniff handed out the contents of his pockets. It might not be perfect, but they were dry and had something to eat. They'd survived far worse days. Billy accepted the food offered to him with a gruff "Thanks." He was used to going without but had learnt to take food while it was there. Who knew when he'd get more?

The downpour had worsened to the extent that Garrison could barely see two feet in front of him. Knowing that no German soldier would bother wandering through the woods in this weather, he allowed his guard to relax a little and sat back, accepting Actor's cigarette with a brief word of thanks, in an absent minded way.

"Lieutenant?"

Garrison started slightly, his attention snapping back to the present as he realised he was still holding the unlit cigarette. He knew that Actor was waiting for some kind of explanation - the conman seemed to take his duties as unofficial second in command very seriously at times. He murmured, "Later," indicating with a jerk of his head that he was not prepared to talk while little pitchers with big ears were awake enough, or close enough, to listen in.

After a while, the warmth began to have an effect on Billy and he felt himself growing sleepy. He straightened up with a jerk, earning a frown from Casino. Space wasn't exactly plentiful and the enforced stillness, the large meal he'd scoffed and the peacefulness surrounding him were having a soothing effect upon the boy. He hadn't allowed himself to relax since the day his parents died. Each day had become a struggle to survive, and a struggle to avoid attracting enough attention to make the inhabitants of the town wonder who exactly he was and where he came from. Fortunately for him, he spoke French fluently enough to appear to be a native.

His head drooped slightly and he straightened again, fidgeting in an effort to wake himself up. He stared out from between the sea of shoulders. The rain wasn't about to end any time soon, he could tell that much. He sighed and fidgeted again.

"Would you stop that?" Casino didn't know what was up with the kid, but he was acting as if he had ants in his pants. "You're drivin' me crazy!"

Billy sighed again and sat still. He was too tired to think of any smart-alec reply, which didn't seem to get him anywhere with this lot anyway. Normally, he'd receive a slap across his ears for his impudence, usually accompanied by being thrown out of whichever place he'd wandered into. He guessed that his usual tactics would have to be abandoned for the moment. He sighed again, not even realising it as his head nodded lower and lower until he was asleep.

"See, 'e was just tired," Goniff murmured as he put his arm across Billy's shoulders and settled him into a more comfortable position. The boy leaned his head on the Cockney's shoulder and snored slightly while Goniff sincerely hoped that Billy wouldn't drool on him.

Casino grinned. Sooner the Limey than him!

Garrison glanced over his shoulder at Goniff. The boy was asleep...had to be asleep: his face would never assume that defenceless look voluntarily. His gaze shifted from the Billy's face and met Actor's eyes. The conman knew something was up and he wouldn't let the subject drop until he knew everything there was to know.

"What happened?" Actor asked softly, unwilling to disturb the peace that surrounded them, but unable to stop the worry that was gnawing at him.

"Dore's got the location of the new munitions factory the Germans have set up." Garrison's voice was quiet but he could be heard by all his men.

"And?"

"He won't give it to us unless we take him to England."

"What?" Actor's voice rose with his surprise and he shot a look over his shoulder to make sure he hadn't disturbed Billy.

"He says the Germans are onto him," Garrison explained. "If we don't get him out, he'll be arrested and we'll have to find that munitions factory ourselves."

"So, whadda we waitin' for?" Casino asked.

"He's going to meet us on the road later on." Garrison's face was impassive but the tone in his voice showed that he wasn't too pleased with the idea.

"Why doesn't he ask the Resistance to get him out?" As usual, Chief's quiet question was a pertinent one.

Garrison glanced at the Indian. "He says it'll take too long to arrange. He doesn't have the time to wait."

"When are we meeting him?" Actor asked, his voice quiet once more.

"Twenty-one hundred hours. We'll travel as far as we can through the night - we have to be at the coast to meet the boat in two days' time. If the rain lets up early enough, we'll try and find a more...comfortable place to rest."

Casino stretched slightly. "I'd hate to have to try an' sleep in here!"

Looking down at the head resting against his shoulder, Goniff grinned slightly. "The kid doesn't seem to have much of a problem."

Actor stubbed out his cigarette in a thoughtful manner. "What are you going to do with him?" There was a slight movement of his head to show he meant the boy and not the contact.

Chief tensed slightly. "We can't leave him here. Look at him. How long would he survive on his own?"

"We're not leaving him here," Garrison told them. "We're taking him back to England."

"You sure he wants to go?" Casino asked, the look on his face saying what he thought of that idea.

"He'll be better off there...even if he doesn't know it yet." The finality in Garrison's tone was obvious to all.

Chief smiled.

~'~

Billy was awake and fidgeting again by the time the rain stopped, and all the men were glad to get out from underneath the rock that had been keeping them dry for the past three hours. Actor stretched as he stood up. As he was the tallest, his head had actually been brushing against the bottom of the outcrop and he'd instinctively kept it lowered to avoid banging it. It felt good to stand up straight again.

As they had only two hours left before they were to meet Dore, Garrison planned to head straight for the rendezvous point so as to be there early. He didn't intend to be taken by surprise if the Frenchman brought friends.

~'~

Standing at the edge of the woods once more, Garrison watched as the baker's van came to a halt with a jerk. His men, and Billy, were out of sight and Garrison made no effort to move as the door slid open and the driver peered out nervously.

"Garrison?" The man sounded nervous too. He peered through the window at the American officer wondering why he did not approach. The driver swallowed nervously, his weak mouth hanging open slightly. Was it a trap?

A sound caught his attention and he realised that someone was wrenching open the back of van. With a strangled yelp, he threw himself out of his seat and into the road, only to be brought up short by a dark looking man, holding a knife.

"Easy, friend."

With his eyes fixed on Chief's knife, the man nodded slightly, then tried to smile. The knife holder was obviously American. An "All clear" from Casino caught both their attentions, and Chief slipped his knife back into its sheath with a grin. The driver sighed, then stiffened in alarm as Actor stepped out of the bushes his gun in his hand.

"Dore." Garrison nodded at his contact by way of greeting as he reached the van.

"Garrison." Dore frowned as he saw Goniff, towing a reluctant Billy, emerge from the woods. How many of them were there?

"Guess we won't 'ave to walk after all!" Goniff grinned.

"We won't hafta go hungry either," Casino told him. "Our baker here brought food."

"Grub!" Goniff peered into the back of the van, his eyes wide. "Look at that, Billy, we get to ride in comfort and eat."

Billy shrugged.

"Okay, everyone in." Garrison looked at Dore. "You ride in the back."

"Very well, very well, I do not mind." The Frenchman hastily climbed into the back of the van and settled himself down, glad to be out of sight.

Actor looked at Garrison with a frown in his eyes. Their contact seemed rather anxious to be leaving. The American officer nodded slightly. "Chief, you drive. I'll be up front with you."

Billy stood sullenly by as Goniff climbed into the van. Although he appeared to be staring morosely at the ground, he was actually taking stock of where everyone was and how good his chances were of escaping. Three of them were up at the front, the blond one and the Frenchman were already in the van, all Billy had to worry about was Casino. His glance flickered up and then dropped again; the safecracker, not being one to give his trust lightly, was watching Billy openly and waiting for him to either get in the van or make a break for it.

Billy scowled. If there was one person he wished they'd leave behind (apart from himself, of course), it was the wise-cracking American. He got into the van and sat down on the low shelf with a thud. Goniff looked up as Casino got in and sat down next to the kid. There was a glint in Casino's eye that suggested he'd just won a battle of some kind but the Cockney shrugged the thought away. Casino was always fighting battles and rarely lost, well, except when he went up against the Warden. Goniff personally believed that no one could beat the Warden. He just wished someone would tell the Jerries that.

~'~

Typically, it was Goniff who started talking first. "So, er...Dore. You got family in England?"

Dore looked up when he realised the Englishman was talking to him. "Me? No! I had a brother but he was killed by the Germans."

"What you plannin' on doin' then?" Goniff asked.

"I have not really made any plans. I...I did not intend to leave France, but as the Germans are after me...." Dore finished with a noble sigh.

"Yeah, well...the war ain't gonna last forever, 'ey?" Goniff nodded encouragingly at the Frenchman, even though it was too dark for him to be seen.

"We better hope not!" Casino commented.

"It won't," Goniff replied. Suddenly he realised that no one had thought to ask the kid if he had any family in England. They'd all assumed he was alone. "'Ey, Billy. You got family anywhere?"

"No." The answer was short and did not sound sweet.

"Would you tell us if you had?" Casino demanded.

Billy scowled at the safecracker in the dark. "No."

Casino snorted slightly. "Didn't think so. Talkative, ain't ya?"

Billy scowled again. He found this particular American to be the most annoying of all of them, and he suspected that it was Casino who was the most irritated by him and his presence.

"Do you not know if he has family?" Dore's voice was slightly tentative. Surely they'd brought the boy with them? Although Dore could not think why they would have brought a boy to occupied France.

"Nah," Goniff responded. "We found 'im on the streets an' -"

"Goniff." Actor's quiet voice stopped the Cockney from telling anything more. "We are taking him back to England," he told the Frenchman, his tone suggesting that it was a dull topic and one best left alone. The Italian didn't know why, but he felt uneasy at the thought of giving Dore any information...about anything.

Dore took the hint and fell silent while Goniff shrugged off his surprise at Actor's interruption. Casino frowned to himself. Why was Actor interfering? It wasn't like him to try and stop Goniff babbling - like the rest of them, Actor usually accepted that the Limey was one of life's talkers.

~'~

Billy was bored. It felt like they'd been in that van forever, although it had only been a couple of hours, and the conversation had dwindled into nothingness. He sighed and went back to his favourite pastime of fidgeting in an attempt to ward off the sleepy boredom that was creeping over him. Casino, meanwhile, might not have been able to see Billy fidget, but he felt the vibration in the shelf they were sharing as Billy moved around. He bore with it as best he could, but he was a man with finite patience who believed in speaking up when someone annoyed him.

"What the hell are you up to now?" Casino demanded, nudging Billy's arm as he spoke.

Dore stiffened in alarm, then relaxed as he heard Billy's sullen answer.

"Nothing."

"Then stop fidgetin'!"

Billy sat still for a second, glaring through the darkness at his bete noir, then he fidgeted with a venom. He began to dance in his seat knowing that it would drive Casino nuts.

It did.

"Listen, you little rat, stop it!"

"Make me!" Billy sneered.

There was second's silence then Casino exploded with fury. "You little punk! I oughta dump you back in the road where we found you!"

"Casino, that's what he wants!" Actor interposed, trying to calm the safecracker down.

"What, you scared of goin' to England?" Casino demanded, a jeering tone in his voice.

"I'm not scared of anything!" Billy retorted hotly.

Actor tried to interrupt but Casino's loud voice drowned him out.

"You wouldn't last ten minutes on those streets," Casino continued, totally blind to the fact that Billy had obviously survived for a lot longer than ten minutes. "Those German patrols'd pick you up and shoot you. Is that what you want?"

"I was doing fine until you jokers came along!" Billy claimed. "The Jerries never picked me up at all and I've been there for years!"

Dore stiffened. The boy had been living in Pithiviers all this time?

"Oh yeah? How many?" The note of disbelief in Casino's voice infuriated Billy.

"Casino!" Once again, Actor was ignored.

"Two, wiseguy!" Billy sneered at Casino. He could survive. He could survive just fine and he'd proved it.

"Yeah?" Casino gave a snort of derision. "And look how well you're doin'!"

In all the furore, only Actor had realised that the van had come to halt, and consequently, he was the only one who didn't start when the door was wrenched open and Garrison's voice, quiet but deadly, got their attention.

"What the hell is going on?"

Billy, who'd jumped to his feet in order to try and land one on Casino, stopped and stared at the silhouette at the door. He was gasping for breath in his fury, but realised that there was no point in trying anything with Garrison standing there; he recognised an immovable object when he met one.

Goniff sat back. The Warden sure knew how to give a guy a fright. "It was nothin', Warden."

"Me and the kid had a disagreement, that's all!" Casino snapped. He couldn't see Garrison's face, but he knew the officer well enough to know which exasperated look was there.

"Well, knock it off! We don't want to get picked up by a German patrol because you can't keep your mouth shut!"

Casino's quick temper rose again at that, but Garrison shut the door and returned to the front of the van. Actor could tell from Casino's breathing that he was furious, but the safecracker, for once, kept silent. With his eyes unable to penetrate the darkness, Actor wished that there was enough light for him to observe the others. He knew that Casino would be glowering at Billy, while Billy would be returning that angry glare with one just as furious, and Goniff would be trying to pretend that he never noticed any kind of ruckus going on at all. He knew all those things: just as he always knew how to play the game to make his chosen victim walk willingly into the trap laid out for him. But the one whose face Actor would have loved to have seen was the one belonging to their French contact, Maurice Dore. Actor didn't know what it was, but something about Dore struck him as out of place. He just didn't ring true. Actor shook his head. He was imagining things. Maybe it was the fact that Dore was all too eager to put a lot of distance between himself and his country that gave him an uneasy feeling.

Meanwhile, the subject of Actor's thoughts was doing some thinking himself. The boy...how long had the boy been in Pithiviers? Dore cast his mind back to when he saw Goniff pulling Billy towards the van but he couldn't recall what the boy looked like.

Actor was not the only one longing for some light.

~'~

Casino fidgeted in his seat trying to get comfortable, while glaring in Dore's direction. It was pitch black inside the van but he could tell from the snoring that Dore was asleep. The safecracker rested his shoulders against the side of the van and tried to snooze. He didn't know how long they'd have to stay in the van, but the closer to the coast they could get the better. In the meantime the boredom was bearable and infinitely preferable to having some Krauts shooting at them. Suddenly, his head jerked up. They'd stopped. There was a murmur of voices, and a door opened then shut quietly.

Garrison opened the back of the van to find Actor ready and alert. The conman might have been asleep when the vehicle stopped, but he was awake now. Garrison smiled to himself. Sometimes he wondered exactly how Actor had been caught; the conman was a consummate professional, his quick mind leaping ahead to calculate each and every move in the games he played. Perhaps his love of women had led to his downfall - l'amour would always be Actor's Achilles heel. No matter. The American officer was grateful for whatever mischance had taken Actor from the heights of his profession to conning Germans for a pardon.

"What is it?" Actor kept his voice quiet to avoid disturbing Goniff, Billy and Dore.

"We're out of gas," Garrison replied, his voice just as quiet as the Italian's. "We'll have to walk from here."

Goniff stirred. "We're out of gas?" he echoed sleepily. He sat up yawning as Casino shook Billy's arm to wake him. The boy awoke in a panic thinking the Jerries had finally caught up with him, his breath catching in his throat as his eyes flew open.

"Relax, it's me," Casino told him. "C'mon, we gotta walk from here."

To Casino's relief, Dore's snores finally stopped as Actor tapped him on the shoulder briskly. "Uh? We...we are here?" the baker asked, looking around.

Garrison shook his head. "We're out of gas," he repeated.

"Didn't Dore fill up on petrol?" Billy demanded, the return of his sarcastic attitude hiding his embarrassment at waking up in a fright.

"Uh, it is Monsieur Dore to you!" the man cried, indignant at the lack of respect evident in Billy's tone. The lad shrugged in a 'don't-care' way, and Dore was left to climb out of the van muttering about the attitude of youngsters today. He stood to one side, stiff with indignation as Garrison, instead of insisting the child apologise, helped his men push the van off the road, into the woods and out of sight.

As they left the van behind, Billy flashed a cheeky smirk at the baker before turning to follow Goniff, and no one was left watching to catch the hastily hidden look of horror that covered Dore's face for one brief second.

~'~

The sun was up by the time Garrison called a halt to their march through the woods. They had only a few miles to go before they reached the outskirts of Dieppe, so they paused by a stream, Chief on lookout once more, and finished off the remains of Dore's pastries.

Goniff rubbed his stomach appreciatively. He hated going hungry, and it had been happening all too frequently of late. "Now that's better," he declared. "Them pies were loverly."

"You oughta know," Casino cracked, "you ate most of them!"

"I just appreciate good food, mate, that's all," Goniff retorted, stretching out on the grassy bank. "'Now all I need is forty winks and I'd be ready to take on the 'ole German Army."

Casino snorted with disbelief then looked up quickly as a snap of Chief's fingers got their attention. Within seconds the group disappeared behind bushes and trees, and were out of sight by the time a German patrol decided to take their break in the exact same spot Garrison had chosen only twenty minutes before.

All four of the cons looked towards Garrison. Whether he chose to creep away unheard and unseen, or wipe out the dozen or so Germans now sitting so peacefully by the stream, the cons would follow his lead. The officer glanced around and jerked his head slightly. Obediently, his men began to withdraw, softly, quietly, drawing no attention from the soldiers nearby.

Billy, his arm held firmly in Actor's grasp, followed the Italian quietly. No matter what he thought of the cons and Garrison, he had no intention of ending up at the mercy of the Third Reich.

Dore, however, was different. Although he approved wholeheartedly of sneaking away to fight another day, his skills in doing so left something to be desired. One unseen tree root later, Dore was sprawled on his face with all the silence of a stampeding elephant. Naturally, the soldiers heard him. Naturally, it was a mistake on their part.

Before Dore was fully down, Garrison had turned. Ruthlessly, he began shooting into the group of soldiers, aided and abetted by his cons. Five of the Germans were dead before they were fully aware of the danger while the rest grabbed for their guns and tried to find as much shelter as possible.

Lying on the ground beside Actor, Billy realised what was happening. He also realised that he might not get another chance so, to use Garrison's favourite phrase, he took off. Dore saw him go but made no move to stop him, or to pursue him, choosing instead to remain behind his tree with the hint of a smile on his face.

A few short moments later, Garrison slowly lowered his gun while watching for any sign of life from the German soldiers now lying in grotesque positions on the ground. The only movement about them came from their hair ruffling in the breeze; the Germans lay still and quiet, their eyes staring sightlessly up at the blue sky that neither knew nor cared that they had died.

Slowly, the men who had never sought, but nonetheless caused, their deaths, stood up, their breathing noisy in the quiet glade. Garrison took a deep breath and put his revolver back in its holster. "Let's get out of here," was all he said.

"Where's the kid?" Chief's demand was sudden and sounded louder than normal in the silence that had fallen.

Actor turned, surprised. "He was here." Looked directly at Dore, he added, "Where did he go?"

Dore shrugged, "I uh...I do not know."

"You didn't see him leave." Casino made it into more of a statement than a question.

Dore shrugged again, shaking his head and making vague noises. Actor frowned. Unless Dore had hidden inside the tree, he couldn't possibly have failed to notice Billy's departure, so why was the Frenchman insisting otherwise?

Garrison checked his watch. Fortunately, they still had plenty of time to make it to Dieppe. "All right, split up and find him. But make it fast."

Dore was the only one who lingered to hear Garrison's next order, and it was addressed to him.

"Dore, you're with me." Garrison didn't trust the Frenchman any more than Actor did, and he wouldn't leave Billy to be found by him.

~'~

It was Chief's sharp eyes that noticed the threads from Billy's shirt caught on the edge of a broken twig. And it was Chief alone who caught up with Billy just as he was attempting to cross the stream. Billy, naturally, didn't realise anyone was there until Chief spoke.

"Where you gonna go?" the Indian asked calmly, taking a seat on a nearby fallen tree as though he had all the time in the world.

Billy stopped in his tracks and turned, the usual cocky look on his face. "I can take care of myself."

"I didn't say you couldn't. I asked where you gonna go."

The boy shrugged. "Anywhere."

"Then why not go to England? You wouldn't have to worry about German patrols," Chief pointed out calmly.

He got a scowl in response. "I'm not scared of the Jerries!"

There was a quick half smile, then, "I never said you were. You afraid of goin' to England?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Then go. At the very least you'll have a new set of pockets to pick." He watched Billy swing back to face the stream then added softly, "Or is it 'cause your parents died out here? You figure you've gotta prove that you can make it."

Billy's chin went up in defiance of the tears that threatened. "I've got nothing to prove."

"Yeah," Chief nodded slowly, reflectively, "I thought that too." He saw the glance that Billy threw him and continued, willing himself to find the words that would stop this boy from making his mistakes, no matter what the cost. "When my parents were killed I didn't have anything to prove. I just...wanted to show that I was okay. That I didn't need anyone." Even though he wasn't looking at Billy, he could tell that the boy wasn't moving. He continued, slowly, "They were killed in a car accident. By a drunk driver. I was twelve."

"What...happened to you?" The question was soft and hesitant, but Chief rejoiced. He had Billy's attention.

"I went to live with my Grandfather." Chief smiled and shook his head regretfully. "I hated him. He'd disapproved of my mother marryin' my father. I wasn't prepared to give him a chance. He couldn't understand me and I didn't want him to."

"What did you do?" Billy was looking openly at Chief now, intent on hearing more.

"I got into trouble." Chief shrugged. "Refused to listen 'cause he was old and didn't know anything. He died while I was in jail, an' once I was out I just wandered from place to place." He pushed the regrets away and asked quietly, "So, what happened to your parents?"

"An air raid got them," the boy answered slowly, then turned his attention back to Chief's life. "Do you...wish your Grandfather was still alive?" Billy was hesitant about asking, but curious.

"Yeah. I think maybe he'd be proud of what I'm doin' now."

"My..." Billy stopped for a second and fidgeted, then sat down on the grass near Chief's tree. "My grandparents are...were...I think, still alive."

"The Warden could probably find them for you," Chief said softly. "If you wanted him to."

"They might not want...they had a row with..." Billy sighed. He had no idea how to explain, no idea why he wanted to explain. Taking a breath, he tried again. "It was before the war. They...they said it was a bad idea to...to come out here, but Dad..." Billy stumbled over the word, but carried on, "was a journalist." His voice was softer now, as though saying the word had been the hardest part for him. "He wanted to report on the things that were happening. He didn't know how bad it was going to be, and when...well, it was too late. He stole identification papers and pretended to be French. M-Mum too. Then the air raid happened and it didn't matter any more."

His head was down, his voice muted, but Chief heard enough to understand. "I think they'd just want you to be all right." He leaned forward to speak again but straightened up quickly as Goniff called out to them.

The Cockney hurried forward, pleased to see Billy in one piece. "'Ere, we've been lookin' everywhere for yer."

Chief stood up. "Yeah, we were just on our way back." He looked at Billy and waited.

The boy stood up slowly and made a show of dusting off his ragged trousers. "Yeah, I guess," he murmured, his voice quiet.

"Oh, right." Goniff looked from one to the other with a puzzled look on his face. He wasn't sure, but he thought he'd interrupted something.

Billy screwed up his face slightly and said, in an off hand manner, "C'mon then."

Only Dore looked disappointed when Chief and Goniff returned with Billy, and only Actor saw the chagrin that flashed across Dore's face. However, no one but Dore himself knew what he was thinking.

~'~

Garrison had rarely felt more pleased to see a town in his life. Now that they had reached Dieppe, all he had to do was get them onto the fishing boat at dusk, and trust the submarine captain's ability to dodge U-boats. Once in England, the information Dore had finally given him could be sent to the Air Force, and the munitions factory near Pithiviers would be put out of business.

As they made their way through the town the air grew colder and a rumble of thunder was heard in the distance. Fortunately for them, they didn't have far to go. The side road they were on led to the main road the lorries used to reach the port. They all hoped they'd make it before the storm broke, but their luck was out where the weather was concerned and the storm hit them with two long miles of straight road between them and the docks.

Keeping their heads down, the group hurried along. With Billy in the middle of them, Garrison thought any drivers passing by would take them for six sailors who were hurrying back to their ship. With a flash of humour, he wondered if they could pass Billy off as a cabin boy if any soldier stopped to question them, but hoped that they wouldn't have to put that to the test.

The rain made it hard to see further than a few feet, but during a lull in the thunder, Actor, at the back of the group, heard a lorry approaching. He shook his head to clear some of the rain and glanced towards the sound hoping to be able to make out whether it was an ordinary supply truck, or one staffed with German soldiers, but a blow to his side made him turn back quickly enough to see Billy fall in front of him and topple into the path of the vehicle.

The boy cried out incoherently but before the wheels could reach him one long arm shot out and yanked him back from the muddy road. There was a blare of the horn, the shouts of an angry driver as he berated the fools who were playing with danger, and the lorry trundled on its way towards the port.

Billy sat where Actor had dumped him, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath after breath. The rain, mingling with tears of shock, ran down his face, but he ignored it. His confused gaze was fixed on the dark shape of Dore as he tried to make himself heard. Naturally, Casino was shouting and Goniff was questioning, but a loud "Knock it off!" from Garrison brought silence at last, and in the midst of that silence Billy's voice was heard, shaking with shock but clear enough for everyone to understand his words.

"He pushed me." The disbelief that was written all over Billy's face echoed in his voice.

Casino's face tightened with his anger. "He what?" He pulled Billy to his feet, then turned to face Dore.

Dore took a step back, shaking his head in denial. "I...I -"

"He pushed me," Billy repeated, unable to understand why a man he'd met only a few days ago would seek his death.

"He is lying," Dore declared as stoutly as he could.

"Why would he lie?" Garrison asked, his tone showing that he was as furious as the rest of them.

"I do not know," Dore blustered, "but what do you expect of a beggar and a thief?"

"And how do you know what he is?" Actor demanded.

The Frenchman's mouth flapped for a second as he tried to think his way past that one. "Uh...uh...it is obvious what he is! Look at him!" Dore stared around like a rat caught in a trap, but anything else he was going to say was forestalled by Garrison.

"Chief."

"Yeah?"

"Walk with Dore. Make sure he doesn't wander off. The sooner we get to the boat the better." Garrison laid one hand on Billy's shoulder and steered him forward. "Let's go."

~'~

The boat 'Little Mermaid' was soon found, and the password exchanged. In far too short a time for Dore's liking, the seven of them were in the captain's cabin keeping out of sight as the orders were given to cast off.

"Well?"

Dore stared at Garrison, his tongue licking at his too dry lips. "The boy is mistaken, that is all." His glance flickered from one unfriendly face to the next. "Why would I push him into the road?" he demanded, his voice rising with his anxiety.

Billy stared at the Frenchman. He hadn't bothered with him much before, he'd been too busy hoping to escape, but now that his attention had been drawn to Dore, he was sure he knew that rat like face from somewhere.

"Billy." Actor waited until the boy was looking at him, then asked gently, "Do you know him?"

The boy stared at the nervous Dore, his gaze focussed but confused. He was sure now that he did know the man, but from where? He watched as the sweat formed on Dore's brow and ran down the side of his face, and fickle memory responded at the sight. As though it was yesterday, he saw the man, hot and sweaty from digging a grave, chasing him from the churchyard with a loud curse and a swinging shovel.

"The gravedigger. He's the gravedigger!"

Dore shook his head quickly. "He...he -" but Chief's knife an inch from his face stopped his denial.

"The gravedigger," Goniff echoed, blankly. "I thought 'e was supposed to be a baker?!"

Garrison pulled his revolver from its holster and turned to face the Frenchman squarely. "Who are you?" he demanded, the hard tone in his voice making Billy quail.

The man shook his head again, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

The sound of the gun being cocked broke him. He sank down onto the captain's bed, his hands covering his face as he quavered, "Norbert, my name is Norbert."

"And you're the gravedigger," Actor repeated.

Norbert nodded, quickly.

"What happened to Dore?"

The gravedigger stared into Garrison's face, unsure of how much truth to include in his bid for sympathy. A twitch of Garrison's gun persuaded him to continue. "Uh...h-he was arrested...executed. He uh...a-asked me to t-tell you where the f-factory w-was -"

"And you used it to get a ticket outta here," Casino finished, disdain in his voice.

"Th-they were going to arrest me next! I had to do something!" Norbert protested.

"Were they?" There was no belief in Garrison's voice.

Actor's eyes were as hard as gemstones as he looked at the quivering coward in front of them. "What are we going to do with him?"

Garrison shoved his revolver back into its holster with distaste written on his face. "Leave him with the captain; he can turn him over to the Resistance. They'll know whether he's telling the truth or not."

There was terror in Norbert's eyes as he pushed Chief to one side and burst through their ranks. He knew that the Resistance had little patience with collaborators, and he preferred to take his chances with the stormy sea. The door slammed behind him before Chief had gained his feet again, and before any of them were on the deck a splash and a cry of "Man overboard" told them where Norbert had gone.

~'~

Garrison glanced at his watch. "Time to go, Billy." They'd been back in England for three days, and tracing Billy's grandparents hadn't presented much of a challenge for a determined Army officer. Naturally, they had been thrilled to find out that their grandson was still alive.

Billy nodded nervously as Garrison picked up his suitcase. He might have returned to England with nothing but the clothes on his back, but he was leaving the mansion with a suitcase full of them. Garrison had been careful not to ask the cons exactly where they'd acquired them; he was sure he wouldn't like the answer.

"You ready?" Casino grinned at the kid as he spoke.

"You'll be okay," Goniff assured him. "Yer grandparents sound really nice."

"Th-they are," Billy stammered. "Well, I'll see you."

Actor smiled down at him. "Take care of yourself."

"And uh...stay out of trouble," Chief added, leaning against the door frame.

"I will. Bye." Billy smiled at them all, a very different smile from any of the ones they'd seen in France, then headed towards the door. He paused as he passed Chief, looked up and murmured, "Thanks."

Chief smiled, that full smile that lit up his face but was too rarely seen. "Any time." The Indian watched as Billy and Garrison made their way down the hall, then shut the door quietly.

"Yer think 'e'll be okay?" Goniff asked of no one in particular.

Chief answered him quietly, that smile still on his face. "He'll be fine."

THE END


End file.
